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**Son Of The Soil** » 2013-03-06 12:55

I do not believe that this is a concern to the population. My reason is that the government do not have properties to operate from within as a result they must rent.
The opposition party of which the honorable member Gaston Browne is the leader should think before he speaks, his party has ruled this country for the majority of years as we know it and for him to present this to us at this time I think it is more than he is saying. The problem here is simple our leaders do not think further than their five years mandate one of the reasons for lack of progress in this country. It would be more comforting if the member said that if his party forms the next government he government will focus on moving away from renting offices. I therefore take this opportunity and ask our government to please make this one of their concern.

**A so ee go !!** » 2013-02-14 06:16

GiveMeABreak 1: ALL Antiguans are of "foreign ancestry". Every single last one.

**John French II** » 2013-02-13 01:39

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock! CL from his Perch at True North hurled a thunderbolt replete with shining lightning on the raking & scraping of public funds by a group of Fayghin trained pickpockets. Some were moved to tears & willingly joined Jam Ban to ferret out Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves. The Realty Cartel asked "Is it Nearer My God To Thee" or funds for 2014. The Flames played the Benna Anthem & masqueraders followed them to the ABIB Headquarters. They were quickly reminded by Sir Eustace of Cushoo Hill that they were mistaken, this was neither a public facility nor public funds.
Friends, Private, Public, Partnership, (P3) or BOOT is an off book method used by Governments to keep their Capital Debts from being listed. Hence Total Debt Laibilities are not known & the Bond Rating Agencies give them a Higher Rating than they deserve. No one should be fooled by this. Renting, Buying, Self-Financing, Borrowing or P3 should all be weighed in the Balance through Financial & Present Values Analyses. Here's a secret, any Facility will cost a minimum of 3.5 times its capital cost over its useful life. Public Works Maintenance? More.
Oh Gad! Pray Wid Mi!

**tenman** » 2013-02-12 23:29

John French II its strange, but I recall the current PM complaining about the said practice. Quite a few members of the opposition would make a big deal of it, having it mentioned often on Observer Radio. You would hear things like why should the PM be paid (a kings ransom) to live in his own house. Now BS heartily continues, the practice, and hardly is a word said against it

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**John French II** » 2013-02-12 23:05

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock! This is the Story of how we begin to remember. These are the Colonial Roots of Buccaneers & Privateers & the Roots of Plunder Remain.
The Colonial Governor & his Aide De Camp lived in Government House. The Colonial Administrator lived in the Administrator's Residence at East (Independence Ave) & St. Mary's Streets. The Chief Minister Lived in Ottos. With Statehood, The Governor General Lived in Government House. The Premier Lived in his Residence. With Independence, The Governor General Lived in his Residence. The Prime Minister Lived in his Residence.
A&B & some Caribbean SIDS made a change from the Colonial Tradition and what is practiced by The Developed Countries.
The Ruling Elites & Politicos found a method to Pick & Pocket the People's Money without boldly stealing it. The People said It is Meet & Right. Our Leaders are Upright & Honest Servants. Let them live in their Own Grand Houses - not Palatial. It is theirs. Who cares about Government Houses? The leaders Heartily agree knowing that at the end of their tenure, the People Paid for their Grand House - Not Palatial.
When I grow up, I want to be like them!

**John French II** » 2013-02-12 20:12

Notes From A Native Son OfThe Rock! Nation Building devoid of Truth will never bring about Justice for the Residents, Citizens & moreso the "Bewildered & Bemused Electorate" of Antigua & Barbuda.
Very few would argue that what CL shouted from his Perch @ True North is not known but ignored by many. It can be associated to an addictive disorder which if the addict wishes to overcome, must be accepted as an addictive disorder. First steps First. May not understand the causes & cures, but must accept the addictive behaviour as a problem.
"Don't shoot the Messenger!". Some would even add, "Don't hate the Player, Hate the Game!" Some would suggest that maybe, just maybe the CL has after putting his "Financial Assets" into a "Blind Trust" has just gone through "The 7 Stages of Grief". Others more inclined to Truth & Reconcilliation will joyously proclaim "the truth of CL's common experience well help set his spirits free & pave the way to reconcilliation !" Those more inclined to Redemption will righteously state that "CL has, through the WPP darkness, been converted on the Road to Ebenezer."
This mere voice in the willderness shouts "it is All Good!"

**John French II** » 2013-02-12 17:52

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock! Friends, it is apropos to start with the seemingly intractable problems: lack of transparent & unaccountable governance of the country's scarce financial resources.
The History of this small place is not only one of wealth extraction, from agricultural & human capital, services & human resouces, but absolute plunder by the few expropriating what should have benfited the 95% people of African descent, and the elites that are in control of decisions expropriating what should have benefited many future generations.
CountryWomen, this method of capital accumulation as identified by the Comrade Leader (CL) creates evident pressures to rape & plunder valuable, scarce & megre financial resources & to induce misgovernance. Your challenge is to prevent, the opportunity to correct this rape & plunder, from being lost & squandered.
CountryMen, it is your national duty to not permit History's default option to repeat itself. Learn from this SIDS' History and the mistakes of others.
Rastas, to offset the pressures for the rape & plunder, A&B needs to enact rules. Property Ownership & Management must & should be treated with decency.

**rupert j.** » 2013-02-12 16:24

Government rent because they think it's cheaper and they do not maintain anything it's that simple.

JD » 2013-02-12 16:06

Pot calls kettle black... Politics and citizenship aside, when only a few individuals own the larger properties then there's not much choice when it comes to renting so I'm not sure of his point here, especially when we're talking about APUA, the biggest monopoly of them all, government-owne d, and holding us all to ransom...

**tenman** » 2013-02-12 14:10

HC, just because Indian racism is as bad or worse than white racism does not mean we should copy. As far as Raju, was he not brought here under the ALP? Did he not occupy a senior position, as chief forensic auditor? Before coming to Antigua, he held the position of Comptroller & Auditor General of India where he was: Quote:

responsible for planning, directing and executing audit of Federal companies numbering 368 and was responsible for preparation of various reports for submission to the Parliament. Was also responsible for administration and cadre management of about 3000 audit managers country wide.

(from his online resume). He possesses a MBA from our own University of the West Indies. HC, we should welcome this adopted Antiguan (by choice) and his expertise and ensure that our people benefit and learn from him

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HC » 2013-02-12 13:10

He might be a citizen,but he is not antiguan,i am sure if you ask him he will tell you who he is an Indian from india, no matter how long a Chiney lives abroad,an Arab,and Indian,they still remain the same,citizen or not.How soon black west indians forget their roots,they turn English& American after a few yrs,and i dont mean just saying they are Citizens. Just because he is a citizen ,dont give them the right to give him one of the highest positions in our land.Do you thinlk you could go to India become a citizen and control their Customs.Hell noooooooooooo .. Not with you pan this one tall.

**CommonSense** » 2013-02-12 10:58

What kind of twisted logic is this? So crime is right under the UPP because it was happening under the ALP? You can't be serious. Did you ever go to school? Or are you one of them that is more concerned with titles than learning, positions than reasoning, problem identification than solution finding?
Your morality seems to be in great danger because your benchmark is that length of time gives something value ethically. Browne is saying that regardless of long this renting cartel has had access to the public purse, now that he is the leader, he will change that economic bleeding of the people's patrimony for ownership and more equitable distribution of the wealth. What about this simple RIGHT NOW SOLUTION THINKING YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND?

**tenman** » 2013-02-12 10:48

AntiguaYouthMan don't you find it strange that he would suggest persons who use aliases are spineless yet he would then revert to doing the same at the level of abuse?
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**tenman** » 2013-02-12 10:44

GiveMeABreak1 that''s another thing that needs to be fixed: public works ie government building maintenance. Also remember that even the private contracts call for public works to maintain the leased buildings. If the decision has been made to outsource its function then its time to close its doors. How the real rental problem will be solved is in doing with Browne stated some months ago: consolidation. We have too many ministries and public bodies that are duplicating functions. He identified the investment authority as one such body. I would suggest we also look at the Board of Education (BOE) and have its function instead performed by the Ministry of Education. Why have public works if the BOE has its own maintenance unit?
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**fnpsr** » 2013-02-12 10:03

If GB is going to accuse persons benefiting from government business, then he better come with "clean hands". I find it hypocritical that he is now the beneficiary of the same thing that he is accusing persons of. While GB may have resigned from the board of his enterprise, is he still not an owner? And isn't this still a conflict of interest? I once opined that no government official should be allowed to do business with the government. GB in a recent message called for the tightening up of the Integrity Act. It would be instructive if he would release his financial information so that the good people of Antigua and Barbuda can see his financial dealings.

"Let's fix the little things before we attempt to fix the big things."

**SlyThatGuy** » 2013-02-12 09:59

Because Gaston Browne wants the public to listen to his message and accept it but,at the same time,refuses to accept what the public has to say about his method or manner of conducting personal business,he comes across as a conceited person - and his political career will certainly suffer as a result. When he says that he was no longer "affiliated "with the venture in Jennings,was he trying to communicate the idea that he no longer owns the mall or is no longer renting out part of it,which one? The bottom line is Browne is just envious of those people making money off their property.

**ANTIGUAN WOMAN** » 2013-02-12 09:58

I cant remember hearing him say it started with the UPP,all he said it must not go unchecked.From the few names he mentioned,it should tell that he was not pointing at any one side.So why the criticisms?

**AntiguaYouthMan** » 2013-02-12 09:11

VB3 thinks he can fool bloggers, not again = VB3. Blogger check all his post and you'll see. foolish single wolf nonsense.

**sophisticated slaver** » 2013-02-12 09:10

Gaston.. you joking right? ok, hahahahahahahah you got me good @ you are no longer involved with South Mall. come on the country has way to many educated individuals for you to try and pull such a stunt on. However, i do agree this issue needs to be tackled.

**GiveMeABreak2** » 2013-02-12 08:41

In these cases they then end up renting from these families while they 'build something new' to house their ministries, which usually takes years or never at all. These so called Government construction projects also open the doors to more of their cronies getting the different construction contracts and ripping the people off when things are not done properly. They are then never prosecuted. It's a vicious circle of greed and scamming. A never ending cycle. :sad:

**GiveMeABreak1** » 2013-02-12 08:40

These 'families', most of them foreign ancestry, have become rich by renting to the Government for more than 30 years now. This is not something that has happened since the UPP took office, it was happening during the ALP days too, and still goes on. Brown talks like this is something new. Hogwash. As I drove by actual Government owned buildings yesterday I made a point of REALLY looking at them. They are all in desperate need of maintenance and repair. Why is it that when the Government builds something they don't maintain it? After several years of non-maintenance they then find themselves with a building that is in such bad shape, and sometimes life threatening to those that work within it, that they end up having to mow it down and start all over again.

**Dig It** » 2013-02-12 08:38

We must learn to pick our fights or battles in this heated and twisted political climate in this country. Renting properties to the government have been going on for a long time (it didn't just started). And, those same so-called 'cartels' have been contributed to political campaigns, so the 'political elites' will never push them a side or 'cut-them-off.' As JF II said, "follow the money." BOOT, my foot! I say no more!

**tenman** » 2013-02-12 08:28

City East 4Life, though I have no problem with most of your conclusions, to suggest that the controller of customs is non Antiguan is wrong. The man is a citizen of this country. Is there some new standard of being Antiguan outside of Citizenship? Such logic seems inline with the crazy sentiment that Obama is not American because he does not possess the skin color of its founding fathers

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**upp supporter** » 2013-02-12 08:25

I support Brown on this issue.

**Dessalines** » 2013-02-12 07:32

I wonder how long have these Cartels been running this office rental scheme? 9 years or is it more that 30 years? This is the reason I support term limits for parliamentarian s. Once in opposition they become enlightened.

**Stability** » 2013-02-12 07:30

Gaston

Is the first LEADER since VC Bird who knows exactly what he wants for our Country.

We have been left to drift under the UPP leaderless and if we don't make a positive change and embrace the ABLP then we will have another four years of Politicians getting richer whilst the rest of us starve

Lesten very carefully to the innovative ideas that GB is coming up with

Remeber: Without Vision the people Perrish and this is exactly where we are!

**Aunt Rose** » 2013-02-12 07:29

The government of Antigua and Barbuda has been renting space from cartels for umpteen years. As a government, I always wonder why we would rent from friends and not build and maintain our own. I wonder if the government is thinking in the short term because they won’t last why they do not invest in owing buildings to last successive governments and thereby saving taxpayers billions.

**Bachra Mary** » 2013-02-12 07:11

"Hundreds of thousands" is joke...these families get millions annually! Carib Arena ran a story a few weeks ago about two floors of a newly constructed building being leased to MBS...since September, and the Ministry had not yet even moved in! That rent alone was over $50,000 per month.

Can this be fair?

**City East 4Life** » 2013-02-12 06:43

This is serious and true. Minister Lovell at th helm of the Finance Ministry has done very little to grow the economy, create sustainable jobs,.... Yet often boast of increase revenue in the Government coffers because of the creative ways they have found to tax poor people, and reduce and eliminate any 'appearance of benefits' they once had. Now.... His hand picked non-Antiguan Comptroller of Customs is seeking to reduce the duty free allowance of $700 Antiguans once enjoyed under ALP,..... And this is just before he allows Everett Christian to tell him to raise Social Security tax on us as a sign of being Patriotic.

All this drama for taxes,.... Yet nothing to control $30 MILLION a year expended on rent, when we all know a lot of Government Ministries can be consolidated in one building? Forgive if I. Find it difficult to take the UPP serious anymore.....

**not again** » 2013-02-12 05:40

Browne its hogwash that you are trying to let us believe that you are no longer associated with South Mall. I have no problem with govt renting from antiguans but since you called the names of who they are renting from presently maybe you can give us your suggestion who they should rent from. Once again you are all smoke..

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